We’re inviting junior scholars in Canada to submit a short essay explaining future defence and security challenges for Canada — what are they and how should they be tackled? Five finalists will be invited to join a new defence network for a few days in Waterloo before presenting their ideas at the Canadian Defence Association Institute’s Graduate Student Symposium in Kingston. Read the full details here.

In case you missed it: Last week, we released our latest list of some of the most engaged and passionate young people involved in Canadian foreign policy. We also chatted with a handful on Twitter about their work in foreign affairs and advice for those wanting to get into the field. Read the highlights from the online discussion here.

BEST OF THE WEB

Comparing Mexico's president-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to Donald Trump or Hugo Chavez would be a mistake, writes Jon Lee Anderson in the New Yorker. His populism is built "not on a hatred of 'the other'... but rather on an intuitive faith that Mexicans can overcome their current reality... In the face of Trump’s proposed wall, López Obrador has proposed greater togetherness."

For Haaretz, journalist Ravit Hecht speaks with Israel's former security adviser, Eran Etzion. His opinions, not always shared by the Israeli public, are both frank and eye-opening on the state of tensions and politics in the region: "Something dramatic is happening in Syria: For the first time, there is direct military friction between Israel and Iran. There is now a higher probability than ever before of deterioration into an open war."